Strong Tower II: Fight for your King
by DiscoUnicorn
Summary: Hazina is in space serving aboard the Enterprise and trying to complete the foundation for her life. Has adult content.
1. For a Minute of Your Time

_**Don't own anything related to Star Trek. I thought it would be funny this time around to put Hazina's and Kyleth's relationship in a dryer and watch the turmoil unfold. Hazina always speaks Vulcan to Kyleth, her mother, and Spock, unless it's **__**not **__**italicized. Did I mention that all the chapter titles are song titles? None of them belong to me.**_

The botany lab of the ship was large and filled with over one hundred species of plants. Hazina was fascinated and spent most of her time there. For the last five weeks since entering the ship, she assisted Lieutenant Babcock whenever she had the chance. Kirk had gone as far to insist she do small shifts in the science station when her father was not working. Hazina had settled into a pleasant routine in which she worked in the botany sector for seven hours, had lunch, and then worked on the bridge at the science station for an additional six hours before returning to her quarters where she meditated and more than often read up on the most current research in the scientific world. She also wrote her grandfather on a regular basis and maintained the façade that she was interested in politics by keeping herself up to date with not only Federation political policies and actions, but also Vulcan.

Her hands were covered in thick brown gloves that the Lieutenant insisted she needed. She gently lifted the beaker within the incubator and slowly poured the green liquid into the black soil that housed the Bajoran roses blooming before her. A smile stretched her lips as one of the bulbs appeared to bend towards the liquid soaking into the brown dirt. She promptly removed her hands and placed the beaker on the table before removing her gloves. Aziza walked towards her dressed in her maroon uniform with her arms folded over her chest. Her hazel eyes darted to the flowers in the incubator before she sat down at the table.

"Something interesting has finally happened!" She smiled and looked up at the ceiling when Hazina continued to stare at the PADD she was working on. Aziza tapped her on the shoulder. _Your mom picked up a distress signal coming from a small planet a day away from us. She contacted Starfleet, and they gave us the okay. We are going to visit a new planet!_

Hazina blinked and looked back down at her PADD. "That is interesting, Aziza, however, I do believe your shift started twenty minutes ago."

_Scotty showed up all happy and told me he could handle it alone. _Aziza gave her a large smile and leaned back in her chair. _He is a charming man. If he wasn't old enough to be my father, I would date him._

"That's good to know that you have some self dignity." Hazina sat in the seat across from her with an impassive face.

_You're funny. _ Aziza laughed and picked up a silver rod and poked Hazina in the arm with it until she looked up. _What is this? Kanshero said you've been avoiding him. The only time you speak to him is when you're in the presence of others. He said he saw you walking down the hall and he tried to wave but you turned and went down another corridor._

She was amazed at how fluent and efficiently her friend was able to make the signs. Then again, almost everyone on the ship had taken up the task of learning sign language so that they could communicate with her. Well, her mother already knew it, but her father was very well in performing the task when he remembered; her father still spent most of his free time trying to perfect the signs. Hazina never thought her father would have trouble with anything, but sign language seemed to be an arduous task to him. Her brown eyes lifted from her notes. Aziza stared at her with a slightly amused expression.

"It is illogical for Kanshero to be under the assumption that I am avoiding him. The day you mentioned, I was asked to inform the lieutenant that works at the communication station after my mother that he would not be expected on the bridge because he has a cold. Also, I speak when addressed, Aziza." She placed her PADD on the table and blinked.

Aziza leaned forward. "Talk to him." She turned her head and smiled.

Hazina followed her gaze and felt her breakfast rise to her throat when she saw him standing in the doorway. She swallowed and forced back the frown trying to disturb the blankness of her face. Her eyes fell to the PADD on the table and narrowed when she saw the projected results for the hybrid vegetables she was in the process of creating. Her index finger tapped the screen to freeze the chart. If she put the seedlings into an incubator of a constant temperature of ninety degrees and supplied nutrition to them, they would be expected to be ready for use within a month. Her gaze flew upwards when Aziza's hand slammed onto the table. Her friend had a deep frown on her brown face. Her face softened as she turned to Kanshero. Hazina looked at him.

"I apologize for accusing you of avoiding me." He laughed nervously and ran his fingers through his hair. Although he had cut it, his hair was still longer than regulation allowed. He stepped closer to them. "Let's go have dinner together."

The word dinner brought strange images to Hazina's mind. Her eyes fluttered closed as she turned away from the two people in the room. She inhaled and turned back to them with her usual impassive expression. Her eyes moved from Kanshero's lips to Aziza's lips as she tried to keep up with the conversation. They were going to dinner whether Hazina agreed or not. Her eyebrows lifted slightly in response to the look her friend sent her. It did not appear as if she had a choice.

The mess hall was nearly deserted. Hazina stared at the food and picked up several dishes she thought would be interesting to try. Her human side liked variety almost more than Aziza did. She eased into the chair beside Aziza and stared at the stuffed cabbage with naked curiosity. The plus side of her not being able to hear was her blatant disregard for the mockery she knew Aziza threw at her. She tasted the cheese and potatoes in the center of the vegetable and almost sighed; it was delicious. Although she continued to eat, her gaze moved to Aziza's face after she felt vibrations on the table coming from that direction.

_Where is Kyleth?_

"I do not know, Aziza. You ask me this same question every day. Why would I track Kyleth as if he is some sort of prisoner here?" Hazina turned her attention to the plate of baked pears on her tray. She looked at Aziza again when she nudge her in the side.

_Did something happen? He is not treating you bad because you can't hear is he?_

The fork she held slammed onto the table as she turned towards her friend. "Aziza, that is illogical and insulting."

_It was a joke. I am sorry. _Aziza made a face and stabbed the baked chicken on her tray.

Where was Kyleth? Hazina knew that he came out of his room and went straight to medical bay to be the head doctor whenever McCoy asked him for his assistance. Other than that, Kyleth spent most of his time in his room pouring over research data and results he had from the experiments and tests he'd run on Tellar Prime. After Hazina told him about Linak and what the woman told her, he nodded once and sat down at his desk. He did not look up from his work until she left two hours later. Even then, it was to tell her goodnight. She pressed her fingers against her temples; she was beginning to get a headache. After downing her cup of water, she stood, excused herself, and went back to the botany lab.

Kyleth was in deep meditation when she entered his room. She sat on the couch and stared at the wall with furrowed eyebrows. Perhaps she should meditate and attempt to clear her headache away. She rested her head against the back of the couch and stared at the gray ceiling. Her heart rate slowed, and she found herself drifting off into sleep. She was dreaming. In all her life, Hazina recalled having only two dreams. Both of those dreams had been strange and illogical. Her eyes widened as she stared at a vast field covered in countless rows of lemons. She laughed and ran towards them with her black hair flowing down her back. Her index finger brushed the fruit hanging from the nearest tree. It was a perfect shade of yellow. As her gaze moved from tree to tree, she realized that all the fruit were perfect. She pulled the lemon from the branch and peeled away some of the yellow skin. Her teeth sank into the revealed flesh. Her eyes rounded in surprise when she found that the fruit was sweet. The juices ran down her chin and onto the front of the dress she wore. She sighed and continued to devour the fruit as she walked along the path in the middle of the field.

_**Dreams are often illogical, Hazina.**_

Her eyes flew open and her heart rate increased as she jolted awake. She stared at Kyleth through narrowed eyes as she tried to slow her heart. He sat down beside her and took her hand into his. His thumb brushed her knuckles as his dark gaze met hers. He moved closer to her until their lips were mere meters apart. She inhaled sharply and swallowed. He stood and walked beyond the table. His lips moved, but she did not know what he said. Her gaze moved to the door when she saw movement. Her father walked into the room but stopped abruptly when he saw her sitting on the couch. She looked at the floor and tried to keep the embarrassment from showing on her face. What was she embarrassed about? She was twenty-one years old and capable of having a relationship with someone.

She stood. _"Hello, father."_

He nodded to her once and looked at Kyleth. He said something which Kyleth promptly responded to. He looked at both of them before he exited. Hazina sat down and turned to Kyleth with raised eyebrows. When he did not say anything, she tilted her head and pressed her lips together. He lifted a single eyebrow as he walked towards her.

_**Commander McCoy has suggested that I go to the planet surface with Captain Kirk and Commander Spock. I have been approved to undertake this task. **_

"_Are you happy?"_ Hazina looked up at him as her face relaxed.

_**I am accepting. Happiness is an emotion, Hazina.**_

She stood and walked to the middle of the room with her hands clasped in front of her. Her hands were warm as they wrapped around Kyleth's. She lifted his hands and placed a soft kiss on the back of them. Her brown eyes shined with…happiness as she allowed herself to smile at him. _"I know happiness is an emotion, Kyleth. It is the strongest emotion you fill me with."_

He stepped closer to her and pressed the palms of both their hands together. His lips brushed hers as his hands move up her arms, and his arms wrapped around her waist. Her finger burrowed into his her as she pressed her face into his neck. He smelled of incense and vanilla. Her hands moved over his hair in one swift movement and to his cheeks. Her feet bent until she stood on her tip toes as she planted a passionate kiss on his lips. She inhaled sharply and pressed her hand against her forehead.

_**Is there something wrong?**_

"_I have a headache. It comes. It goes. I do not understand it. It has been happening for three days now." _She sat on the couch and closed her eyes as the pain appeared to intensify with each beat of her pulse.

Something cool pressed against her neck, and she felt her body relaxing. Her eyes opened to find Kyleth kneeling before her with a syringe in hand and a look of modest concern. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He gently lifted her and carried her to his bed, where he placed her with as much gentleness as he could muster. He disposed of the syringe and walked over to watch her looking at him with drowsy eyes. He dropped down to his knees and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. She blinked and did not open her eyes as sleep took her.

When Hazina woke up, Kyleth's arm was draped over her waist. She blinked at the clock and almost jumped out of the bed when she realized that she was, in fact, several hours late for her shift on the bridge. Kyleth's arm around her waist tightened as he pulled her back against him. _**You have been relieved for today.**_

He pressed a kiss into the back of her head and inhaled deeply. Hazina looked at her black hair spread across both their forms. Kyleth ran his fingers through the locks so that they were in perfect symmetry. He pressed a warm kiss into her neck and rested his face against her cheek. Her fingers interlocked his as she turned to him and kissed him gently. She knew he would hesitate to touch her again, because he was afraid he would hurt her like last time. What she could not get him to understand, however, was the fact that that had been a good kind of hurt. Also, he had been under much duress during that time.

He pressed their foreheads together before he moved closer to her then directed his attention to the gray walls. Hazina smiled slightly and rested her head against the softness of the pillow. Would it always be that hard to convince him that she wanted what he refused to give her? Should she try and encourage him through the link they shared? She swallowed as everything in her mind became clear. The smile on her face widened until she could no longer stop herself from shaking with laughter. Hazina cleared her throat and stood from the bed. She did not look at Kyleth until she was at the door. Turning on her heels, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss before escaping. Another smile broke the seriousness of her face as she walked down the hall filled with a desire that wasn't completely hers.

_**A/N: For some silly reason, I'm working on two other stories. So, the updates for this one will probably be kind of slow. *shrugs* **_


	2. Never Be the Same

_**I don't own anything related to the Star Trek Universe. This chapter is based on "Plato's Stepchildren." I know it was in season three of TOS, but I have no idea what episode. How's about I guess and say sixty-five? Did I get it right? Yes? I'm too lazy and bothered to actually check. I am a good nerd though, so I'll pretend I am correct. Oh, and there's going to be some nonconsensual stuff going on.**_

Hazina sat at the science station reading over the information flashing across the screen. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as her brown eyes moved evenly with the moving words. The planet they were approaching was documented in the Federation database, but there was little known about it other than the size, weight, and knowledge that life did exist on it. Her fingers brushed her forehead as she leaned forward and focused her attention on the screen. There was absolutely no knowledge beyond that, and it annoyed her to the point of apprehension that three of the most important men in her life were going down there. She looked at Kanshero standing with them. Captain Kirk had called him at the last minute in case they needed some kind of tactical support. She nodded to Kyleth when he looked at her. The corner of his lips twitched before he turned and followed the two men ahead of him.

Her mother walked over to her and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. She looked up into her smiling brown face and was rewarded a quick kiss on the nose. Hazina smiled and blushed before quickly lowering her head and turning her attention back to her console. She waited patiently as she knew the group had to be beamed down then she would probably receive information. Her seat turned towards where her mother was seated. The woman appeared to be completely enthralled by whatever it was she listened to. She smiled and waved Hazina over. Her hands began to move animatedly as she described what the people were saying. It was a man on one ship talking to his wife on another. He was telling her about his last mission and how they had lost three men. Nyota pressed her lips together and sighed. Hazina tapped her mother on the shoulder before she returned to her console.

There were several images and instructions on the screen. Her father sent pictures of different plants and instructed her to classify them based upon the information and pictures provided. Her eyebrows rose as she stared a particularly beautiful purple flower that appeared to have small green spores in the center of it. She leaned forward and took out a writing PADD from the single drawer at the station and began to draw the flower. Her eyes remained on the screen as the pencil in her hand moved across the paper quickly. The pad of her index finger traced the outline of the petals. Her gaze darted to her mother quickly before moving back to the flower. The woman watched her with a large smile and wide eyes.

It was a while later when Hazina finally drew each of the six flowers and began to break them down. She stared at the text information that popped up on the screen. It was only information about the climate and the vegetation of the planet. Her father dutifully suggested that the planet be classified as M instead of its original N. The gravity there was almost identical to that of Earth's, and there was much water, although the large amount they encountered was not readily useable. She catalogued the plants and entered this information on the database. She knew her father would collect samples as proof to his statements. Hazina sent her attention back to the plants.

Most of them were of almost identical to poppies and other flowers commonly found in the Terran country known as Greece. Hazina made notes of her findings and turned to the large screen when her mother tapped her on the shoulder. David waved at her. He looked at her and continued to speak. His eyes darted to her mother as she signed everything he said.

"Do you think it is safe to be back in space so soon, David? I know you will say I am still here, but I have yet to make it back to Earth. Also, why would you return to that quadrant after what happened?" Hazina looked at her mother's hands with raised eyebrows. "I wish you much luck in endeavor then. Your father will not agree with this."

_He is already in space. Jim can't make the ship turn around._ Nyota appeared to chuckle.

"Brilliantly devised plan, David." She nodded to him.

_He says that means a lot coming from you._ Nyota beamed at her daughter.

"Live long and prosper, David." Hazina bowed to him when he responded.

She did not turn back to her station until the screen went black. Although she thought that going back into space so soon after the last battle, Hazina saw the logic behind David's thinking; he had trained almost all of his twenty-four years to work on a space ship. The last thing he wanted to do was waste his time on Earth when he could be exploring space. Her shoes brushed the metal floor underneath them as she pushed her chair away from the station. She nearly bumped into her mother.

_Captain Kirk has requested you and Yeoman Butler beam down. Your father will probably be in the transport room when we make it there._

Her father was, in fact, materializing on the pad just as she, her mother, and a pale woman with shoulder length white blond hair entered the room. She gave him a look as she and the woman stepped on individual pads. He had his stoic expression, but his eyes looked confused and somewhat hazy. Hazina narrowed her eyes slightly, but remained immobile as the beam began. She was surprised to find that the place could have easily have been mistaken for Earth. The woman walked behind her with round eyes as they trekked down the slope towards a waiting man. Hazina stopped abruptly and stared at him. He motioned for them to follow.

The smaller man appeared to be uneasy about something. Hazina stopped walking a few feet away from him and gazed around the room they occupied. A man and woman sat on a throne on the north side of the room. People dressed as ancient Greeks littered the place on mats drinking or eating fruit. She looked at the smaller man to see him saying something to the two people in front of them. Hazina's attention moved to the right when she saw Jim, Kanshero, and Kyleth being led forth. She tilted her head at the strained look Kyleth wore. It looked as if he had, at some point, been crying. Hazina walked to him and touched him on the shoulder.

"_What is wrong, Kyleth?" _Her eyebrows lifted when he turned to her with a look of confusion. She read his lips perfectly.

"What are they doing here?" He gave the people on the thrones an impassive face, but Hazina could feel the anger pouring from him. Kyleth moved away from her slowly as if doing so would force the two to not bother her. He kept his face straight and is eyes glued to them.

"We thought they would be entertaining to watch." The woman smiled at them. "Alexander, take them to be changed."

Kyleth pressed his lips together and looked at Parmen as Alexander led both of the women from the room. "I have saved your life. I have also agreed to remain here. Let the innocent people return."

"She is important to you." The woman chuckled. "We will have a celebration once they return."

"Philana, you are a wise and giving woman." Parmen smiled at his wife.

They were the most annoying and arrogant people he had ever had the displeasure of coming across. Although Alexander wanted to help them, and they had promise to take him away with them if they managed to get away, Kyleth figured their actual chances of escaping were less than two percent. Also, the probability of the injection he had given himself and Kirk working was less than ten percent. Still, the use of the kironide mineral had increased their chances of escape by five percent. His dark eyes stared at the marble tiles. Would it take as long as he predicted for the serum to work? He glanced at Kanshero out the corner of his eyes. Perhaps he should have tried it on the other human as well. Ah. He could not help but be fascinated by the biological effects the mineral had on the creatures' bodies.

It was a little over ten minutes when both women returned looking rather annoyed and flushed. Hazina wore an ankle length green linen chiton that left her right shoulder naked. Her black hair was piled on the top of her head in dark ringlets with yellow flowers tucked in. The emotion in her brown eyes bordered wonderment. She took a hesitant step forward as her eyes darted between the three men standing before her. The servant Alexander said something to her. He obviously thought she was ignoring him; he wore a look of pure irritation as he grabbed her hand and pulled on it. Hazina flinched as she yanked her hand away from him and stared with wide eyes. The short man looked at Kirk and Kyleth nervously.

Hazina lowered herself until she was eye level with him. Her brown eyes searched his face for several seconds. Her fingers entwined as she allowed herself to give him ma smile so beautiful that Kyleth clenched his jaw. She tilted her head at him, and her eyes twinkled. "Yes?"

"The mistress wants to speak with you." Alexander motioned toward Philana.

Instead of turning to the woman immediately, Hazina took Alexander's hand and brushed it along her face. She stood and turned to the blond woman with one of the happiest smile anyone had ever seen her wear. Her eyes were glued to the woman's eyes, which means she had no idea what was being said to her.

_**Tell her yes.**_ Kyleth almost frowned at the way she was acting. Surely…he looked around the room at the others. Several of the males were smiling and nodding towards them. He pressed his lips together and silently calculated the chances of them leaving.

"Why is she not answering?" Philana looked at Kirk with a small frown.

"She can't hear." Kirk shrugged at the glare the woman gave him. "You asked."

"She is looking at me. Can't she read my lips?" Philana narrowed her eyes at Kirk.

She turned to Kanshero and tilted her head slightly. He frowned as he walked over to Hazina and took her hands into his. Her eyes widened as his right arm slid around her waist but his left hand held her right tightly. Music from a harp disturbed the silence and they began to waltz around the room. Philana clapped and raised her hand as a signal for the music to speed. Kanshero moved away from Hazina as she and Yeoman Butler moved onto the floor in perfect unison. Her face became radiant with a smile as they moved in perfect synchronization with the music. Hazina laughed and twirled, causing her long hair to tumble over her shoulders. Kyleth took a step forward and instantly regretted it.

Yeoman Butler, blond with olive colored eyes and average height, sauntered over to him with a large smile. She dropped to her knees before him and moved her arms above her head as she leaned back until the upper part of her body was on the floor. Her eyes beckoned to him as she rose and twirled around him in a flash of pink. She was slightly aesthetically pleasing, but Kyleth had no interest in her whatsoever. His dark eyes move from her flailing frame to the more subtle movements Hazina made as she smiled at Kanshero. Her hands brushed his face before she turned away from with a slight blush. Her eyebrows lifted when she turned back to him and slammed into him violently.

"He will stay with us." Philana motioned towards Kyleth.

"We cannot leave him behind here. He belongs--"

"She will stay then." Philana nodded towards a confused looking Hazina. She laughed at the look of horror Hazina wore as Kanshero's lips crushed hers. "They both will stay here in his stead then. I think they look beautiful together."

Kanshero's fingers moved up Hazina's back until he cupped the back of her head as he leaned forward and deepened the kiss. Kyleth took a step forward but found that he was being held back. Of course he knew Parmen was the one doing this. All of his wife's attention was focused on ruining the beautifully imperfect Hazina he saw before him. His hand formed into a fist as Kanshero's lips lowered. Hazina made a sound and moved to push him away. Her eyes widened as his lips covered hers again.

"He will stay." Philana smiled at Kirk. It seemed the eagerness of the others forced her to continue what she was doing while she looked at them.

"I will stay." Kyleth nodded once but never took his eyes from the scene before him. "Please."

Kanshero's hands were all over her body. Kyleth thought the scene before him was slightly ironic. Had Hazina not accosted him for something similar the night before? His pulse increased by 5.83% as Kanshero and Hazina dropped to their knees in a loving embrace of limbs and lips. Kirk muttered several Terran curse words before closing his eyes and turning away. They were useless. Kyleth felt his teeth grinding one another as he tried to move. Hazina's hand was against Kanshero's chest for several moments before they were pinned above her head. He smiled and brushed his lips along her thigh. Hazina whimpered and shook her head. Kyleth closed his eyes.

Two seconds passed before his eyes were forced open, and he saw. He tried with every telepathic skill he had to not think of what was in front of him. Surely, these people of high intellect and telekinetic powers did not do things such as this on a regular basis. He wanted to crush him. Yes, the Japanese man was innocent in all of this, but was he not the one lying between her thighs? Hazina moaned and whispered one word in Vulcan, _"no."_

Part of his resolve broke. It was illogical to think that beings of justice could exist without intervening in this. He narrowed his eyes at Parmen before his head was forced downward so that his gaze was on the tow melding bodies before him. She was beautiful, and he was ruining her. He could feel the bewilderment and confusion that controlled her thoughts. Whether involuntary or not, her hips jerked upward suddenly and her eyes closed as the color disappeared from her cheeks. Kanshero groaned and collapsed on top of her. Hazina made a soft whimpering sound and pushed him away. She stood suddenly and ran towards the door, but stopped abruptly. Her body lurched forward as she vomited.

Kyleth's eyebrows rose as Alexander stood and placed several weapons on the floor. Philana laughed and looked at Hazina. Her lips were pressed together and her face impassive, but Kyleth felt the humiliation and anger burning through her like fire. She glared at the woman as her body moved closer to the weapons on the ground. Philana chuckled and looked at the three men. "Doctor, you are very angry. I think you want to hurt your fellow officer."

His body moved against his will as he lunged at Kanshero and pinned the man to the floor by the neck. Everyone in the room to be paying apt attention to two of them. Kirk Pulled on Kyleth's shoulder helplessly and looked up with a bewildered expression. The commotion was interrupted temporarily when Alexander gave a small scream from the front of the room. Parmen was having a stare down with Alexander, who appeared to have drawn a knife. Kirk narrowed his eyes and stared at the small man struggling to not stab himself. The shorter man allows the blade to fall from his hand as he looked to Kirk. Kirk laughed loudly and walks towards the leader of the strange group.

Kyleth felt the hold on his body loosen as he pulled away from a gasping Kanshero. He blinked and stood with his impassive face but clouded eyes. The pores of his skin opened slightly when he felt her gaze on him. Kirk and that silly man were battling over power, and he was trying to hide his embarrassment for having lost control of himself. He blinked and looked at the floor with his lips pressed into a thin line. His attention snapped back to the two men in the middle of the room. Parmen admitted that Kirk's power was superior to his own.

Kirk stopped Alexander from killing Parmen. The man agrees to be more pleasant to future visitors from the federation. Kirk does not believe this but simply reminds Parmen that it would be easy for future visitors to take advantage of the serum Kyleth created. The man pressed his lips together and sat in his chair in defeat. Kirk, the only member of their team dressed in a Starfleet uniform, tapped his insignia and told Scotty to beam them up. Alexander was beamed up with them.

The moment she appeared on the pad, Hazina turned her head away from the group and quickly left the room. She went straight to her room and stood in the middle of her bedroom where she crawled onto the bed and cried. Ws she crying because she did not understand what had happened or because she feared she had nearly enjoyed what had happened? She felt sick just thinking that the second suggestion could be true. Her legs felt weak as she hoisted herself from the bed and went into the bathroom. She threw up again before turning on the shower. Why couldn't he have chosen Yeoman Butler instead? Hazina pushed her dark hair away from her face and began to snatched the flowers from her hair. She tore the dress she wore and covered her face with her hands. Why would something like that happen in front of him? Why would he do that in front of her Uncle Jim? She inhaled quickly and sat on the floor on top of the torn dress. Her face felt hot underneath her palms as she continued to cry.

Gentle hands fell upon her shoulders. Her mother gave her a sorrowful smile and pulled her into an awkward hug. She ran her fingers over the back of Hazina's head and held her tightly. Hazina continued to cry until she was almost too tired to move. She turned off the cold water and stood in the steaming hot water staring at the wall. Her mother appeared in the slider door with a towel.

Hazina lay on the bed with her eyes closed as Nyota gently brushed her hair. She snuggled in closer to her mother and pulled the thick cotton robe she wore tighter against her frame. Inhaled deeply, she turned to her mother with red eyes and slightly puffy lips. Her brown eyes were glued to her mother's lips as she asked a single question, _"why did this happen?"_

Her mother sighed and suddenly looked much older. Her brown eyes were filled with tears. _"Hazina, these things that happen to us in life are simply stairs that lead us upward until we reach the top where all those things will compile and shape us into who we should be. Kanshero is very sorry this happened as well. He would never have done this, Hazina."_

"_I feel dirty." _She pressed her face into her mother's lap. _"K-Kyleth was watching. They were all watching but Uncle Jim and Yeoman Butler. I was so embarrassed and humiliated. For a moment I think I enjoyed it. I am so disgusted with myself." _

Nyota pressed soft kisses against her daughter's head and hugged her silently. Hazina looked at her and smiled. She gave her daughter a small smile. _"Kyleth loves you. Just go to sleep for now. Leonard wants you to come down so he can have a look at you. Go see him tomorrow morning."_ She planted a kiss on her forehead and gave her one last squeeze before she left.

Hazina lay on the bed staring at the ceiling with round eyes. She lifted herself on her elbows and stared at her door when she saw movement. Her brown eyes widened a fraction when she saw Aziza standing in the door. Her friend left the room and returned pushing Kyleth in before her. She nudged him in the side and skipped towards Hazina with a small smirk. She moved around the bed and pulled her friend into a tight hug. Her thumb jutted towards the Vulcan standing in the middle of her sitting area. _I've never seen a full blooded Vulcan look nervous. _

"You should not have forced him." She turned towards the wall and felt a strong urge of regret when she sensed Kyleth's humiliation. Her brown eyes remained on the wall so that she did not have to see what Aziza had to say.

Sleep eluded her. She dressed in her uniform and left her room after putting her hair in a tight bun at the back of her head. Her boots made soft clicking noises on the floor as she made her way to the turbolift so that she could visit sickbay. The doctor present was not McCoy. Kyleth stood several feet away from her with a PADD grasped tightly in one hand. He simply blinked and stared at her. The nurse appeared from behind a dark blue linen curtain. She smiled at Hazina and motioned for her to take a seat on the cot closest to them. Her hesitation did not go unnoted by the man watching her from behind the silver table.

_Are you sick? _The woman was obviously mimicking the signs from the PADD she'd placed on the table.

"I am fine. My mother told me to come by to see Doctor McCoy." Hazina sat straight and stared at the wall.

The nurse ran her tricorder over Hazina quickly and shrugged. _There isn't anything wrong. Your vitals are strong._

"Thank you." Hazina slid from the table and left the room as quickly as she could while maintaining the façade that everything was normal.

She pressed her head against the cool metal wall before turning and heading towards the botany lab. It would not hurt anyone if she started work early.

_**A/N: All errors are mine. This story is going slowly on my part. My bad! I'm trying to finish, but I stay in Mississippi, and school is about to start. I do a lot of running around to assist my cousin and aunt, but I am writing in my spare time. I'll try and post chapter three as soon as it's done. The fall semester starts for me on August 17th. I'm going to try and finish by then. This story will probably die if I don't. **_


	3. Starry Nights Cloudy Hearts

_**Don't own anything related to Star Trek. Note that the story is told from Hazina's and Kyleth's point of views.**_

They were schedule to land on Trinitra in two days. Hazina had taken special care to avoid Kyleth and Kanshero since what had happened on the small planet only five days earlier. Every time the memory invaded her thoughts, she had the urge to throw up. Sometimes, she suppressed the action but most times she had to succeed in the simple task of getting to the toilet before the food in her stomach reached her mouth. She had been instructed by the captain that she would be allowed off the ship in Lieutenant Babcock's stead. They all agreed that fresh air would do her good.

She had, for the better part of herself, began her experiment and study of the hybrid plants she theorized. There would be, she predicted, one major flaw in the entire experiment. The flowers would not be able to reproduce. Hazina touched the rust colored seed with her hand and wondered why that seemed to be a fact for a hybrid of any species, race, or kingdom. She gently placed the seed on top of the warm dirt inside the incubator. Perhaps her flower would do something miraculous and produce seeds after all. She stilled upon realization of her illogical thoughts. She had not thought of miracles since she was very young. Miracles were theories based upon illogically contrived thoughts. Her fingers sifted through the dirt slowly; they were trying to cover the seed with a substantial amount of dirt.

Lieutenant Babcock rarely said anything to Hazina after they had their morning briefing. The man found the use of sign language to be annoying and the fact that Hazina paid more attention to the plants around them than to his instructions to be even more annoying. He stood in the doorway watching her hum to the seed she planted in the incubator. Too bad she could not hear; he wanted to tell her that she had one of the best voices he ever had the pleasure of hearing. He moved to the silver table in the corner and filled a beaker with two milliliters of coolant and nearly dropped the beaker when he looked up to find his assistant staring at him. She opened her mouth to say hello, but she produced no voice. He frowned.

"That is how I feel throughout the day." Hazina turned back to the incubator quickly, denying herself the pleasure of seeing him smile.

She finished up her work in the lab some time later after she categorized the organic Terran vegetables and fruit. At some point during the situation, Hazina decided that there were too many fruits and vegetables on the planet. Why was it necessary to have so many different things on one planet? What annoyed her most was the fruit that looked like vegetables and the vegetables that looked like fruits. Of course she was knowledgeable of the vegetation; she just did not care enough. Still, she completed her work with great efficiency. She escaped from the lab just as Lieutenant Babcock appeared carrying a large white plant that a strange scent that made her gag.

Hazina was quiet. She sat on the floor in the gym staring at the man on the other side of the room as he continued his weight training. She had, for some time, resigned herself from doing such strenuous tasks. Lately, her energy was easily depleted, and her emotions were as random as the calls she received from her sister. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at the woman smiling at her from the mat a few feet away. Aziza made it her priority to follow Hazina to the gym whenever she could. Aziza was bent at an angle that Hazina calculated to be physically impossible for her own frame. She sighed and lay flat on her back. Her head rested on her back as she began her exercise routine, which always began with sit ups.

They were walking on the machines when Aziza slapped her on the arm and motioned towards someone behind them. Hazina glanced over her shoulder but turned her attention back to the machine readings in front of her. Her heart rate had increased by 6.34%, or as the machine read, four beats per minute. She swallowed and concentrated on returning her vitals to normal. Sure being in the same room with him made her nervous, but there was no need for her to panic. Her index finger brushed the soft plastic of the control button and increased the speed of the platform. She really needed a break from being on the ship.

Dinner was an experience Hazina wanted to avoid as well. Although she interacted as well as she could, she found that Aziza and her mother were the only ones that remembered that she could not hear. One time, Sulu said something very funny and obviously asked her about it; everyone turned to her with big smiles before they all remembered. After that awkward moment, she stood and emptied her tray, which didn't hold much in the first place. Her brown eyes swept the food before her with great scrutiny. The food looked delicious, but something behind the glass gave off one of the worst odors she had ever experienced. She stepped closer to the glass and narrowed her eyes at a platter of squash. She pointed to the squash, the fries, and the vegetable soup. She almost drooled over a bowl of fruit that was mixed strawberries and blueberries drenched in the juice from yellow peaches. She took two of those. She nodded when Aziza asked her if she was hungry.

She was alone. If her mother was not there to try and talk to her, Hazina found that hardly anyone else made the attempt. They would wave at her as the sat down, but it was not often that she was included in the conversation. Was everyone avoiding her because of what happened or because she was deaf? She ignored the squash and soup as she savored the sweet taste of her fruit and berries. The sweet and tangy taste reminded her of the way Kyleth had tasted that night in his apartment on New Vulcan. Heat crept into her face as she made sure to give the wall in front of her all her attention. Her breathing stopped for 7.4 seconds as Kyleth sat in front of her with nothing but a bottle of water in hand.

He had done a wonderful job of avoiding her up until that moment. His dark eyes were focused solely on the soft angles of her face and the strawberry she had just slipped into her mouth. Her eyes caught the quick movement of his eyes when he looked away. Her eyebrows lifted slowly as she popped a blueberry into her mouth and fought the urge to moan at the wonderful taste. She dipped one of her fries into the fruit syrup and bit it. It was actually very good. She looked down at the two dishes and promptly covered the fries with the purple fruit sauces.

_**Hazina, that is disgusting. **_ Kyleth stared at her.

She swallowed and leaned forward. _"I find it absolutely delicious." _Her eyes closed briefly as she bit into another fry.

Kyleth looked at the strange looks the four people sitting at the table were giving Hazina. He wanted to tell them to go away. Although he should have done so sooner, he had finally built up the courage to tell Hazina that he did not blame her for what happened. He wanted to beg her for forgiveness on his part. His dark eyes widened slightly as she licked the syrup from her fingers. Hazina sighed rather loudly and rested her elbow on the table. She pressed her lips together when she realized that her tea had gotten cold. Her eyes flickered to the cup Kyleth pushed towards her. She lifted it and almost sighed as the warmth moved down her throat to settle in her stomach.

_**Are you well?**_ His dark eyes were focused on soft, puffy pink lips. He looked at her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun at the back of her head. His gaze moved back to her lips.

"_My head pains have become less frequent. Aside from the strange bit of nausea and my inability to sleep, I am well."_ She drank her tea with her eyes closed. _"And you?"_

_**I have…missed you.**_

Her lips parted slightly as her gaze intensified. The index finger on her left hand twitched on the table as her hand moved forward slightly. His fingers brushed her knuckles before she pulled her hand back and rested it on her lap. She turned to look at Aziza when her friend touched her on the arm.

"How do you talk to him without him signing or speaking?" Aziza frowned.

"He is my bondmate. We share a telepathic link." Hazina looked at the other three faces quickly.

"Oh." Aziza sighed and looked down at her beef. "That's amazing. And that was really disgusting what you ate."

Hazina finished her tea in stood. She gazed at Aziza. "The irony of your statement is I ate it. Therefore, your opinion of it is not needed."

In an attempt to avoid Kyleth, she went straight to the bridge, where she found her father alert and staring at his screen with fascination. Hazina stopped beside him and leaned forward. She smiled as she too read the words appearing on the screen. It was a summary of information they had on the trading planet they would be landing on soon. The port was occupied by over thirty known species other than the one natural to the N class planet. Hazina tapped the enter key twice and frowned as she pointed to a line in the text. Her father's eyebrows came together slightly before he looked at her. He reread the entire paragraph and sat back to stare at the screen.

"_Perhaps it was placed there in error." _

"_Perhaps. Either way, I will look into this. You are relieved for tonight, Hazina." _

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before standing. She waved to Sulu and Chekov before pretending to not notice Jim smiling at her. Her eyes lit up when he stood and walked over to her. He wrapped her in a tight hug and planted a well aimed kiss on her forehead. She squeezed him tightly until she felt her mother touching her on the shoulder. Jim coughed and held his hand out as if to show her that he would be okay. She gave him an apologetic look and followed her mother onto the turbolift. Her mother smiled at her but did not speak the entire ride. She led her down the hall towards the quarters she shared with her father. Hazina felt a small itch on her neck and reached to scratch it. Her hand stopped mid-motion.

"_Are you itching? This is so rare. You've never had an itch except for that one time you got bitten by that spider."_ Her mother turned and continued to walk towards their quarters. She was almost in the kitchen when she turned to her daughter with narrowed eyes. She looked at Hazina and frowned.

"_Is that clock swaying?"_ Hazina frowned and stepped into the room.

Uhura sat the girl down on the couch and went into the kitchen. She handed her a glass of water and sat down beside her. Hazina gulped down the water and closed her eyes. She looked at her mother before shaking her head and covering her face with her hands, which she found to be damp. She inhaled deeply and looked at the clock again. Everything was in working order. Her mother gave her a reassuring smile before she disappeared again. Hazina stood and walked around the quarters with curiosity. Some of the pictures on the wall were of her and her siblings. There was a picture of the entire bridge crew dressed in black and all of them smiling, except her father, but he did look amused.

She spent several hours with her mother watching films in gray with subtitles. Hazina missed listening to the foreign languages and laughing when her mother perfectly quoted lines. She smiled each time her mother's mouth moved. Although she was twenty-one years old and almost a Starfleet graduate, Hazina knew that the most important moments in her life were the ones she spent with her family. She gave her mother a soft hug before she left the room.

Aziza was just rounding the corner when she saw the woman dressed in her red uniform run towards her. She grabbed her wrists and laughed gleefully as she led Hazina down the hall. They walked quickly towards Aziza's room. The door swooshed open. Hazina's brown eyes darted from the man and woman sitting on the couch to several people standing in the kitchen laughing. She gave Aziza a sideways look and took an involuntary step backwards. Her back hit something hard. Turning slowly, she found herself face to face with an impassive looking Vulcan. She swallowed and moved into the room quickly to get away from him. The last thing she wanted was for him to start talking like he had when they were in the mess hall. Her fingers trembled as she ran them over her hair. She turned to Aziza, who was busily pouring a drink near the counter. When had her friend had time to meet the other five people moving around her quarters?

"These are all officers that work on the engineering brig near me. I invited Scotty, but he wants to be alone with the ship tonight. Which is well, he'd drink all the liquor." Aziza laughed and pushed a glass towards Hazina.

She looked at the concoction for several moments before she lifted the glass and shook her head once the smell hit her nose. She gagged and lowered her face in an attempt to hide the heat that crept into her cheeks. Ignoring Aziza's apologetic expression, she moved from the kitchen back into the sitting. She sat down on the couch next to a couple holding hands and smiling while their eyes were glued on one another. Hazina pressed her index and middle fingers against the side of her head and began to count slowly. There was a positive side to her not being able to hear; meditation was possible almost anywhere.

Something brushed her arm. Her brown eyes flew open and moved her gaze to the man standing several feet away from her holding a glass with green liquid inside. He gave her a nervous smile and nodded before gulping down half of his drink. After glancing around the room, he sat down at her feet and looked at her with brown eyes that held so many emotions. The ones that stood out most were egret and sympathy. He ran his fingers through his black hair and finished his drink. Inhaling deeply, he looked at her and opened his mouth. His lips closed but opened again several seconds later.

"_I am sorry."_ He spoke slowly in Japanese. He placed his glass on the table next to the couch. He looked very nervous as he reach out and touched her hands. _"I am very sorry. I never…it was sick and wrong. I could not help what I did. I just want you to know that I would never hurt you like that on purpose, Hazina. Please forgive me."_

"_I am not angry with you. You have been forgiven."_ She pulled her hands away from him gently.

Her eyes blinked several times as she tried to push away the emotions he had passed into her mind. Her head turned to the right quickly when she felt the emotions disappear as quickly as they had come. She gave Kanshero an awkward hug and looked down at her hands as he walked away with a smile and his empty glass clutched in his right hand. Her brown eyes darted upward to find that he still stood beside the plastic plant Aziza kept beside the door. She inhaled quickly and looked at him, daring him to come to her. He lifted his chin slightly and glanced around the room. His dark eyes glimmered with an emotion he quickly covered. He blinked and began to walk towards her. She was going to throw up for the simple fact that he had crossed the distance in three steps. Why was she so nervous? Her fingers brushed her forehead as she looked at the floor.

_**Why is it so easy for you talk to him? I have experiences with you that he will never share. It is illogical for you to be more receptive of him than me.**_ His fingers brushed hers as he came to a stop beside her.

She looked at him with narrowed eyes. Was he tying to make her feel overwhelmed? Her eyes widened slightly and her head tilted when his fingers moved over the back of her hand. She felt his emotions brush her consciousness like a gentle breeze on a winter day. The taut muscles in her face relaxed as she allowed her gaze to remain on his face. The corner of his lips twitched as he kneeled beside her and held her gaze.

_**Jealousy is an illogical emotion, Hazina, but I do not deny that this is all I feel when I see you with him. **_

The word "illogical" finally became what Hazina had often thought it was: illogical. She leaned forward quickly and pressed her lips against his. While she expected to feel embarrassment from him for the display of affection, his happiness and desire are what invaded her mind. She pulled away from him quickly and swallowed. Her eyes darted around the room, but no one was looking at them. She stood and looked at him until he stood straight beside her with an impassive face but eyes flooded with curiosity. He followed her from the room and down the hall. Hazina wished she could hear. She would have bet her communicator that Kyleth's heart rate had increased drastically. It was only fair that he be as affected by the kiss as she was. She glanced at him over her shoulder to find that he was watching her. His face flushed green slightly as his eyes rose from the curves of her hips to the small smirk on her face.

They were in her room. She turned to him with a mischievous smile and slowly walked towards him. Her hands caressed his cheeks before she wrapped her arms around his neck. She barely had time to breathe before his mouth covered hers. His hand moved to the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss and slid his tongue into her mouth so that it gently brushed hers. A low moan escaped her as she moved closer to him and pressed their bodies together tightly. Kyleth stopped kissing her to stare down into her brown eyes, which were naked with lust. She stepped away from him and pulled her blue shirt over her head before unzipping her blue skirt so that it dropped to the ground. His dark eyes fell to her breast. Whether she knew it or not, they had been his second favorite part of her body since he had seen them three months before.

His hands moved up her hips slowly before moving to her back where they unhooked her bra. He inhaled sharply as the black lace fell to the floor. He moved closer to her and lowered his mouth so that he could plant a soft kiss on each of her breast. His tongue brushed the chocolate colored pebbled that hardened after his touch. He licked each one like a cat cleaning its fur. He kneeled before her and placed kisses down her stomach. Hazina's eyes were closed as she allowed him to plant soft, warm kiss all along her skin. Each of his hands took a breast into its grasp as his tongue played along the line of the lacy black panties she wore. He pinched her nipples gently and was rewarded a sharp intake of breath. His hands cradled her breasts with the most gentle care. He pressed his face between her legs and deeply inhaled the scent of her. His tongue brushed her through the fabric. She sighed and buried her fingers in his hair. Her lips stretched into a smile when she noticed him watching her. Her head fell to the side.

_**What do you want, Hazina?**_ His eyebrows rose when she shoved him flat onto his back on the floor.

After kicking off her boots, she talked towards him with her eyes narrowed and a beautiful smirk stretching her lips. She kneeled beside him and released a low chuckle when she felt his heartbeat; it had increased by more than she'd estimated. While Hazina had been innocent the first time she had ever had sexual contact with Kyleth, she had taken it upon herself to study some of the most useful sexual techniques. Frederick's disc was also of great help. Why hadn't she looked at it before she'd visited Vulcan? It had been lost when Aziza covered it with her junk. Hazina pressed her lips together and quickly disrobed the man lying on the floor. She pressed a hot kiss against his chest and moved upward so that he nibbled at her breasts.

The sound she made was like a moan and chuckle mixed. He quickly undid her hair and inhaled the deep scent of pomegranate that invaded his orifices. His eyes fluttered closed as her hand traced down the hardened muscles in his stomach and caressed the mildly hardened organ between his legs. She brushed her lips along his skin until she reached his hardening erection. It was always wonderful to explore new things. Her tongue moved over the top of his penis with agonizingly slow movement. She fought back a smile when he shivered underneath her. He gasped when she took him into her mouth. Hazina was amazed that the organ could be so soft and hard at the same time. Her tongue brushed the length of him before she took as much of him into her mouth. She made a very logical decision and leaned forward while loosening her throat and allowing him to thrust upward to deepen his penetration. She knew that if his eyes were opened, they be rolled into the back of his head. She moved away from him and smiled when he blinked himself back to reality.

He sat up on his elbows as she moved to straddle him. He could feel her wetness. His erection almost ached to be inside of her. Her eyes closed, and her teeth bit into her lower lip. Kyleth squeezed her breasts and pressed his lips together to fight back a moan as she rubbed her wet pussy along his length. His grip on her breasts tightened as he closed his eyes and shoved his hips upward. She giggled and threw her head back as his hands moved to cup her buttocks. His fingernails dug into her skin as he lifted her away from him. Their eyes locked in a heated gaze as he lifted his hips and pushed his hardness into her hot wetness. Hazina made a sound in the back of her throat and clutched his shoulders as he thrust into her. She gasped and began to move her hips at a pace that matched his thrusting. Her teeth dug into her lower lip to the point where Kyleth feared she would puncture it. She cried out suddenly and trembled as her body was racked with pleasure. The continued stroke of him sent the gentle fire in her blood into overdrive.

He maneuvered so that she lay underneath him. In the position, he pushed harder and deeper. Hazina wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as she inhaled the scent of him. She whispered his name so low that he almost didn't hear her. Her fingernails raked down his back as her body was shaken by another orgasm that caused her to tighten around him. Kyleth rested a hand on each side of her head and began to thrust harder. His three fingers lingered on her cheek. _Our minds are one._ He moaned loudly when the ecstasy she wallowed in moved into his consciousness. His fingers tangled in her hair, and he whispered her name as he gave one final thrust before spilling himself inside her. Her fingers danced down his back slowly. She smiled at him as he gazed down at her with complete happiness.

They lay in her bed with his head resting on her chest. Kyleth enjoyed the sound of Hazina's heartbeat; it was like an offbeat drum. His fingers brushed her right breast as his palm moved down her body to rest on her flat stomach. He looked at her.

_**Why do we do this, Hazina?**_

She smiled at him. _**So that I know you love me, Kyleth. If I am capable of making you do something you do not want, I know I am successful.**_

A feeling like laughter passed through both of them. Hazina pressed a kiss against his forehead and turned to the wall. For once, in the past four days, she was sleepy. She sighed as she drifted off to sleep. Kyleth listened to her even breathing and irregular heartbeat. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the soft pattering of his love's heart. His eyes flew open and he moved slightly when he thought he'd heard something. It had been the faintest of sounds, but he had heard it.

His dark eyes moved around the room quickly, but he doubted anything was truly there. The anomaly he had noticed was obviously in Hazina's body. It had been what he was focused on when he'd heard it. Instead of replacing his head on her chest, he rested it on her stomach; the area was softer. He wrapped his arm around her hips and tried once again to synchronize himself with her through meditation. This new thing was so faint that he could not be sure where it came from. Kyleth stilled and could almost taste the shock that ran through his body like electricity. His hand trembled as he placed it on her lower abdomen. He eased off of her and looked at her serene face. There was no other logical explanation.

_**A/N: All errors are mine; I do try to get rid of them. Yes, I went **__**there**__**. Now, I've got two ending for this story floating around in my head. I suppose I'll know which one to use by the time I get to that point. **_


	4. The Promise and The Threat

_**I do not own anything related to Star Trek or the song titles used for each chapter. **_

Hazina stood at the mirror rubbing her pink lips and staring at the circles around her eyes that had begun to fade. The corner of her lips lifted upward slightly as she glanced at the man sleeping on the bed. For the past two nights, she had been able to go to sleep without a second thought. The much needed rest had her body feeling more energized and overactive. She went to the bed and crawled in so that she sat straddled the Vulcan sleeping underneath her. Her fingers brushed his cheek, and he blinked awake. She liked that about her mate; he was an exceptionally light sleeper. Smiling, she leaned forward and took his mouth into a passionate kiss. Her fingers stroked his face as he leaned forward and deepened the kiss. He kissed her on the cheek and rested his hand on the exposed skin of her thigh. He rested his head against the pillow and looked at the ceiling for a fraction of a second.

She lifted the shirt she wore over her head and lowered the covers. His dark eyes moved back to her face, and he allowed her to feel his emotions. He kissed her again and rolled over so that she was underneath him. Based upon the time, he had exactly one hour, three minutes, and twenty seconds before he was due in medical bay, and she in the botany lab. Her index finger tapped his lips as they stared at one another. His mouth covered hers as he moved between her thighs. They would use the time efficiently.

Aziza stood outside her door waiting with a large book clasped in her arms. Hazina looked over her shoulder as her door swooshed open. Had she not left her PADD in her room, she would have been on her way to the botany lab. It had been illogical of her to not conclude that she would stay in Kyleth's room last night. She moved around her quarters swiftly and ignored the white smile her friend gave her as she moved towards the door. Aziza continued to follow her down the corridor and onto the turbolift. She remained silent the entire time, but did not allow her smile to falter. By the time they reached the lab, Hazina was obviously curious but too Vulcan to ask what her friend wanted.

After writing down data from the experiments and supplying nourishment to the flowers and vegetables, Hazina went to work humming to her seedlings as she ran her fingers through the dark soil. Her eyes moved from the dirt between her fingers to the woman standing several feet away from her. Aziza was on her communicator smiling and talking to someone. Hazina finished cleaning the soil before she washed her hands. She turned to Aziza with lifted eyebrows when she tapped her on the shoulder.

"Your brother is amazing. I can't believe I've been talking to him all this time and just realized that." She bit her lower lip and covered her mouth with her hand. She was blushing.

"Solin is an exceptional being, yes, but why does this matter to you?" Hazina picked up the box on the floor and placed it on the counter. She paused, inhaled deeply, and tried to blink away the wave of dizziness that had suddenly come over her. She ignored Aziza's look of concern as she began to cut the box open.

She moved so that she was within close enough range of Hazina's sight and said one sentence. That one sentence made her friend drop the knife she clutched. Aziza inhaled deeply and narrowed her eyes at Hazina. She repeated herself. "I think I am in love with him."

"That is illogical. You hardly know him." Hazina picked up the knife and quickly cut through the tape.

"I've been talking to him ever since spring break, Hazina!" Aziza was obviously upset. "Illogical. Everything is illogical to you, isn't it?" She shook her head and left the lab in four strides.

That was a situation Hazina had hoped would never come. Although she was part Vulcan, she was prone to giving into her most dominant human side; was it illogical to hope that something beautiful would not happen? She inhaled deeply and sat down in the chair closest to her. Surely, Solin and Aziza would be perfect matches for one another, but as a man who prided himself on being able to control his human side, would he truly be happy married to a human woman? Hazina thought about Aziza and realized the slight similarities she shared with her mother. Perhaps Solin noticed those similarities before her and decided to grab her friend as his mate. Hazina leaned forward and stared at the metal pans in the box. Her brown eyes shifted to the three boxes on the floor. She would not be going to lunch for a long time.

It was nearly one o'clock, and the ship was only minutes away from docking in port on Trinitra. Hazina sat in the mess hall staring down at the eggs on her plate with a look of pure contempt. She held her breath and quickly stood. The scent alone made her want to throw up the little she had eaten the night before. Did the woman at the counter not remember that she was a vegetarian? She shoved the plate away and covered her face with her hands. She had not been that agitated in a long time. Perhaps being off the ship would be comforting to her. Seeing the same people every day was perfect for her routine, but the news Aziza had given her that morning had thrown her off slightly. It had taken longer than it should have to catalogue the metal bowls and pots.

Aziza was on the bridge sitting in Sulu's chair typing on his module when Hazina walked off the turbolift. She nodded to her friend and moved towards her mother. Would Aziza be making the landing instead of Sulu? Her mother shrugged and handed her a piece of paper to take to her father. Hazina leaned against the wall and watched her father work with the utmost efficiency. Her brown eyes lingered on his perfect posture and the way he was able to multitask without flaw. He glanced at her but did not speak. She stepped towards him and leaned forward slightly.

"_Solin has bewitched Aziza. Or which ever way you prefer to say it."_

He turned to her with raised eyebrows and a look of pure curiosity. His brown eyes darted to the dark woman watching the two of them. He nodded once, and she stood to join them. He motioned towards Hazina. _"Our son and her friend are in a relationship."_

Nyota smiled and let out a sigh. _"I am glad you too finally know. It was awful to keep that a secret."_

"_Mama, why?"_

"_He asked me to."_

Hazina shook her head and looked at her father. He shrugged and turned back to his station. Her mother tapped her on the shoulder gently.

"_It is okay for them to be together, Hazina. He will not hurt her."_

She was embarrassed. While she had not made the point of stating why she was against the relationship, Hazina was not surprised that her mother already understood her reasons to object. She crossed her arms over her chest and stepped onto the turolift. She was expected to be in the docking and beaming area in fifteen minutes. After walking to her room briskly, Hazina went straight to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet. The bread and fruit she had eaten spilled into the water. Her hands trembled as she moved to push her hair away. Her fingers brushed another pair of hands. Covering her mouth, she turned quickly to find Kyleth standing behind her. She opened her mouth to speak but was forced to turn back to the toilet. Her right hand rested palm down on the floor as she continued.

After splashing water on her face and gagging through a minute of mouthwash, she felt she was ready to go. Kyleth stood in the sitting area watching her with guarded eyes. He stepped towards her when she emerged from the room dressed in a blue long sleeved sweater. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled as her followed her from her room.

_**I think you should go see Doctor McCoy.**_ He walked beside her with his gaze focused in front of him.

Hazina decided to respond to him through the link they shared. _**There is nothing wrong with me, Kyleth. I have seen him several times. **_She continued to walk until they got to the turbolift.

His dark gaze held hers for several seconds before he reached out and brushed her cheek. _**I do not want anything to happen to you, Hazina. You are my treasure. **_

She nodded to him once before stepping onto the turbolift. _"I will see you upon my return."_

Her parents were in the room engaged in a conversation with Scotty. She blushed when the man pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek. Nodding to her parents, she moved around the room so that she stood closer to the beaming platform. She remained facing them, but took her time to open her communicator. Shi'Kahr sent her a message. Her brown eyes moved over the words swiftly before they darted upward. She typed a response to her sister's inquiry before she clutched her communicator in her fist and stepped onto the platform nearest her. She stared at Scotty's smiling face and remained motionless as the beaming began.

They appeared at the opening of a large building of some sort. Hazina looked around with lifted eyebrows before her mother touched her on the arm. She motioned to the woman standing beside her and smiled. "This is Lieutenant Yoon from tactics. She will be escorting you. This is Hazina."

Hazina nodded to the woman and turned to her mother. _"Thank you, mother. I will endeavor to return as soon as I feel my objective has been completed."_

Nyota laughed. _"Feel no need to rush. We're staying on the planet for the night._ Just make sure you're back to the ship before the suns set." She kissed Hazina on the cheek and jogged to catch up with Kirk and Spock.

Noticing the woman's moving mouth, Hazina turned to her with a look of curiosity. "I cannot hear."

The woman stood in front of her and nodded. "I know. I'm just here to watch you."

Hazina bowed. "Thank you."

They walked through the thick crowds of people slowly. Hazina found that the air was almost like that on Vulcan but filled with invisible molecules of water. It would be possible for someone to drown on the planet if they had poor lung volume. The idea fascinated Hazina. Her eyes roamed the diverse crowd as they continued their stroll. Hazina stopped and stared at the tiniest jacket she had ever seen. A being with long black hair and leather type skin motioned to the coat and laughed as she spoke. Hazina looked at the woman beside her. Lieutenant Yoon shook her head and motioned for Hazina to continue on.

It was pure curiosity that drew her to each table and stand they passed. By the time they reached the end and the entrance of the city, Hazina held two bags filled with things she knew she did not need, however, she wanted them terribly, and she thought it would be interesting to attempt raising the orange flowers she could see swaying in the distance. She pressed her back against the tall granite post and closed her eyes against the blaring heat. Why did she have to be sick at that moment? They were on the verge of entering one of the most beautiful alien cities she had ever visited. Her fists tightened around the handle of the bags as she pushed herself forward. She could see the cart moving in the distance swaying back and forth. Making the excuse of being thirsty, she pointed towards the small shop that boasted the best Trinitran tea on the planet.

She had never had Trinitran tea. Her eyes stared at the light brown liquid and the flower floating around inside the cup. She looked at the woman behind the counter and nodded before lifting the steaming drink to her mouth. The moment she swallowed, she had to be in what the Christians referred to as heaven. The liquid spread pleasant warmth throughout her body that made her bothersome nausea go away. Her brown eyes widened at the large smile the woman. Aside from the overly large eyes, large ears, and flat noses, they people looked completely human. Hazina down the cup quickly and shook her head when the woman motioned for her to eat the flower. The lieutenant sitting beside her quickly took the flower and pushed it into her mouth.

"They are good." She chewed and motioned for another cup.

Clutching her second cup of tea, minus the flower, Hazina ordered a salad. When the woman placed the food on the table, it was like nothing Hazina had ever seen. The lettuce had been cut perfectly so that it was shaped like a flower. Vegetables of different colors that she did not recognized were spread around the leaves. The woman handed her a pamphlet. The red vegetable were a mixture of tomatoes and beets, the dark green vegetables that looked like pebbles were actually pickled peas. Hazina popped one into her mouth. They were delicious! She quickly began to eat her salad as soon as she saw that the yellow slivers of vegetables were simply mild banana peppers. Her delight was plain on her face as she devoured the food.

Lieutenant Yoon bounced beside her with wide eyes and a large grin. If Hazina had not known better, she would have believed the lieutenant was intoxicated. She kept glancing at the woman out the corner of her eyes. She gasped and quickly walked towards a small museum. The woman at the door was the guide and owner of the place. She spoke in perfect Federation as she led both of them through the place. They stopped to bee lectured on how the planet was founded. The Trinitran people were originally humans, but adapted to live on the planet. The physical changes they bore were proof that evolution did occur. Hazina read the woman's lips with mild interest. Evolution was still one of the most heated topics on Earth. Surely, seeing these being would convince many humans that the theory could be fact.

After nearly forty minutes and ten seconds of exploration, Hazina and her escort were on their way out of the museum. She has given the woman a donation to help her establishment. It had been a wonderful place. Hazina glanced at the group of men sitting in front of the slightly broken down building across the street. One of the men gave her a toothless grin. She turned her head quickly and continued to walk deeper into the city. It was amazing. Tall trees of were everywhere. They were in the colors lilac, teal, and lemon. She pulled a leaf from each tree and smiled when it quickly turned brown. She moved closer to the tree and stared at the entire trunk before looking at the leaves. The tree itself served as a life force for the leaves, but unlike Earth trees, the leaves died immediately from being disconnected. A woman waved to her. She approached her.

"You think those trees are beautiful? I have smaller ones you can plant in your garden. They will to be no more than five feet tall, but the color depends on the environment they are kept in." The woman smiled.

"Why are these of different color when they are in the same environment?" Hazina motioned to the trees behind her.

"Nonsense! Didn't your beautiful brown eyes notice that they in different locations? The green colored trees receive light from all three of the suns and the two moons. The yellow are hidden behind the tower until nightfall. It receives light from only the sun. The lilac ones receive light from two of the suns and one of the moons, but it takes in the most condensation."

"Fascinating." Hazina looked at the trees again. "I will take your offer. I would like two of each."

The tiny trees the woman gave her were short and as wide as her palm. She put them in a single paper bag and handed it to Hazina with a smile. She bowed to the woman and continued to walk towards the city. Wondering where her parents and Uncle Jim were, Hazina turned to her escort to find that the woman had wondered over to the men standing in front of the house that looked abandoned. Her brown eyes scanned the area before she began to walk over to the group. Lieutenant Yoon sat beside a bald pale man with dark blue eyes and slightly dirty skin. Their eyes were glued to the glass balls moving around the inside of the box top on the ground.

The youngest of the group looked to be about eighteen years old. He smiled at Hazina and stood with his hand extended. "I'm Mira. These are my friends Joy, Ulna, Camon, Iris, and Merry." The men glanced at her before turning their attention back to the marbles.

"It is pleasant to meet you. I come for my escort." She motioned towards Lieutenant Yoon, who made a point of ignoring her. The woman leaned in closer to the man with shoulder length orange hair and yellow eyes.

"Come inside for a drink."

The others did not need to be instructed. One man picked up the box; he and two other led her, Lieutenant Yoon, and Mira inside. She looked over her shoulder to see two of the men walking towards the city entrance/exit. Her brown eyes moved to the dirty walls. A thin cloud of dust rose when Lieutenant Yoon dropped onto the couch beside the orange haired man named Iris. Joy, the bald man, moved to what looked like a kitchen. The other man that remained was of the color of brown sugar. He had dark eyes and curly blond hair that reached his ears. He rubbed his large eyes and yawned before sitting on the couch beside Lieutenant Yoon. Hazina swallowed and took a step back. Mira smiled at her and moved aside.

"Lieutenant Yoon, I think we should go. We will be missed." Hazina narrowed her eyes when the woman dressed in the gold uniform leaned forward and kissed Iris. "Now."

"Don't be in a rush!" Joy smiled at her as he placed the dirty cups on the table.

Mira sat down on the floor and stared at the cups as Joy filled them with dark brown tea. He looked at Hazina. "Where are you from? Your ears are different from hers. Who are you with?"

"We are with the Enterprise of Earth." Her pulse sped as she watched the interaction between Lieutenant Yoon and Iris.

Mira looked at Joy, who in turn shrugged and picked up his cup of tea as he sat on the floor beside Mira. Mira picked up his cup as well. He smiled after he gulped down half the tea. "Come, drink. I will not hurt you."

Hazina stiffened and narrowed her eyes at them. "Will they hurt me?"

He laughed and looked at Joy and the brown man sitting in the corner on the table. "You will have to ask Joy and Camon this. I do not make promises for others."

"Lieutenant Yoon, come." Her eyebrows twitched as she stared at the woman writhing underneath the kisses of the man above her. She stepped back and reached for the doorknob. The bags fell from her hand when Mira lifted the inside half of the doorknob with a smile. "You will get in a lot of trouble for this."

"Who is going to tell? We'll be long gone before they even know you're missing." Mira chuckled.

"She does look familiar." Camon crossed his arms over his chest. His dark eyes were glued to Hazina's face. He shook his head and shrugged. "I do not know where I have seen her. I'm Camon, researcher of the group. I find the bounties."

"Probably saw a picture of her on a strange site or something. I'm Joy. What kind of ears are those?" Joy snickered as he gulped down his tea.

"My ears are part of my genetics just as yours are." She stared at him. If looks could kill, he would have exploded seconds earlier. Her hand formed into a fist. She would just punch her way through the wood. When she turned to the door, she found herself swaying. She inhaled quickly and was surprised when she felt herself falling backwards. The ceiling was a jumble of shapes as her head hit the floor with a loud thud.

~8~

When she came to, she found herself handcuffed to a piece of wood. She blinked away the dust in her eyes and fought back the bile rising in her throat. Lieutenant Yoon lay across a table naked with all four of the men violating her. One was underneath; one was on top; the third was in her mouth; the fourth was being massaged in her hand. Hazina closed her eyes and tried to slow down her racing pulse. No, she could not allow them to do that to her. She would rather kill them or die trying to get away.

_**Kyleth, please help me.**_ She tried her hardest to send the message over the link they shared but found herself losing consciousness again.

Someone was dragging her. Her eyes fluttered open. The dirty floor brushed against he back of her head enough for her to know that she would be bruised. She blinked and nearly died when she heard a somewhat hoarse voice command another person to just tie her up again. She pretended to be unconscious as her body was dragged the other way again. She looked at them behind heavy lids to find that they were still preoccupied with the lieutenant. The woman looked as if she was having the best time of her life. Several of the men dressed, but Iris remained with her. He lifted her from the table and disappeared through the door. There were obviously stairs there; Hazina could hear them moving down them. She could hear! She wanted to dance and clap, but first, she had to get out of there.

Her hands trembled as she tried to make sense of why they had handcuffed her; it was such an ancient way of binding people. If it wasn't for Scotty, she would have never have cared to know what the contraptions were. She looked at the wood and knew if she could muster the strength, she would be able to break it. Her head snapped to the left when a hand collided with her cheek. She glared at a toothless man before her.

"They wore that other bitch out. Looks like I've got you all to myself. I'm Ulna." He laughed and sighed when he looked at her forehead. He handed her a napkin. "You're bleeding."

"What?"

"Your forehead is bleeding." He moved away from her and looked out the door quickly. "It's really annoying to have to do this. I don't have any place to go. I've been with Merry for twenty years now." He sat down on the table and stared at her. He jumped up when she groaned. "What's wrong?"

"I feel horrible." Hazina looked around the room until she noticed a window that was tinted light blue.

Hopefully, she was only on the second floor. She didn't recall seeing a third floor on the outside, but dwellings could be deceiving. She gasped when three of the men ran up the stairs and slammed the door closed. Mira turned to her with narrowed eyes and produced a five inch long knife. He moved towards her.

"Just take it easy. She's sick anyway. She can't do anything." Ulna touched Mira on the shoulder and jumped when there was a loud crashing behind the door. "What the hell is that?"

Mira's hand trembled as he moved to the corner of the room. The door creaked open to reveal a bloodied Iris. He made a gurgling sound before collapsing on the floor. Hazina swallowed and felt her heart rate increasing. She stood and backed up until she was against the wall. Surely, whoever it was coming inside would not only kill them but destroy her in the process. Her body began to tremble again as she breathed deeply against the wall. She tried to pull the metal handcuffs through the wood. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the man standing in the door.

"Hazina." He looked at the four men standing in the corner before he moved towards her.

She opened her mouth, but did not speak. He stopped in his tracks and stared at her with his head tilted. Was it the blood running down her face or the fact that she was handcuffed to that wood and covered in dust? She inhaled sharply and turned towards the wall with her eyes closed. There was only one time in her life that she had seen an angry Vulcan. She could feel his rage surging through her body like it was her own. That time she trembled, it was because of the strong emotions she felt. She pressed her forehead against the dusty wall and tried to slow her breathing again. It should not have been so hard to do.

She blocked out the yelling behind her and tried again to get the handcuffs from the wood. A moment of relief ran through her when the wood cracked. She groaned and pulled harder. She was rewarded the sound of cracking wood and her arms coming free. She gulped when she turned to find herself face to face with Kyleth. The chains of the handcuffs made a clinking sound as her hands brushed his face.

"Thank you." She smiled at him.

"_I need you to go out the window, Hazina."_ He moved to the window quickly before glancing at the men groaning on the floor. He threw a chair through the glass and took her hand.

"_Are you coming with me?"_ She turned to him after she had one leg over the ledge.

"_Yes."_ He stiffened when he heard the front door open. _"No. Please, go."_

"_I don't want to leave you."_ She gripped the ledge when she felt herself getting dizzy. She ignored the footsteps coming up the stairs.

Kyleth gave her a quick kiss and all but shoved her out the window. She landed heavily on her knees and grimaced from the pain. She touched her emblem to page to the ship. Her legs felt stiff as she ran down the street towards the port where they were stationed. She ignored all the noise around her and relaxed slightly when she heard Lieutenant Yeong's voice. Her voice cracked as she began to speak.

"Inform Commander Scotty that I need to be beamed up as soon as possible. Contact the captain and tell him…" She leaned forward and clutched her sides as she was overwhelmed with fatigued. She stopped and leaned against the railing in front of the building they had beamed to.

She collapsed on the platform as soon as she arrived. She remembered Aziza calling her name then reprimanding herself because she remembered that her friend was deaf. When she woke up, she was in sick bay on a bed with an IV in her arm. Her eyes swept the room quickly until the landed on the dark brown woman sitting in the chair beside her bed. She inhaled and groaned as she tried to relieve the pain in her back. Her mother blinked awake and gave her a large smile.

"Hazina, how do you feel?" Nyota touched her hair and smiled.

"_Where is Kyleth?"_ Hazina sat up and stared at her mother with round eyes.

"How do you feel?"

Hazina's head fell to the pillow and her eyes welled with water. What had happened? Was he dead? Why wasn't her mother answering her? She turned to the wall. _"Tell me where Kyleth is."_

Nyota touched her arm. "Baby, I…"

Her daughter turned to her with tears on her cheeks. _"You what? It is a simple question. Where is he?"_

"We don't know." She frowned when Hazina looked at the ceiling. "People are looking."

"_They won't find him. Yes, I can hear again, mother. I just needed to be banged on the head one more time."_ She smiled at her mother through her tears. _"I am not returning to Earth without him, mother."_

Nyota smiled and sat on the bed beside Hazina. "I did not expect you to."

"_What happened to Lieutenant Yoon?"_ Hazina rubbed the bandage on her forehead.

"She's dead. They used her for some kind of ritual. Yes, we found that house, but no one was there other than three bodies. We did find some green blood." Nyota sat back in the chair with her arms crossed over her chest. "Leonard wants to talk to you."

Dr. McCoy appeared behind the curtain just as his name was mentioned. "You're awake! Well, Sweetie, I've got some news for you."

"Am I ill?" She looked at him with round eyes. The sound in the room muffled slightly before becoming clear again.

"You are having a baby. Also, your hearing is back. It seems the bump on your head caused the fluid in your ear to balance out again. Your baby is healthy. You're healthy. You just need to rest." He smiled at her and touched the tip of her nose.

"Thank you." She blushed and looked at her knees. Her head lifted so that she looked at him.

"Don't worry. You're six weeks pregnant. There's no way it can be Kanshero's." He winked at her before he disappeared.

Hazina crossed her arms over her chest and stared at her knees. She pressed her lips together and turned to her mother with a look of pure determination. _"For the sake of my unborn child, we will find him."_

_**A/N: All errors are mine. I love a good adventure. Don't you? I wanted to post this yesterday, btu fanfiction's site was acting weird. **_


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